Comments: I'm not one to write reviews much. But, in this case. I feel I should give a bit of my own input on this reel. I have owned this for two seasons now. I live in NY. So I need to say season, not years of use. Well, I used it all last season. My Matt frogging set up. Reel performed pretty good. Drag (WAS) strong, with no slippage. Brakes are not that great. Constantly tuning and tweaking. And still get over runs every 20/25 casts. Handle is decent. Needs to be slightly longer for more winding power. And does flex more than to should. This season. I was cleaning up my reels. And when I got to this one. I torqued the drag down to get ready for the next day. I pulled on the drag to check it. And it pulled right out! I loosened it all the way up, and retighten it. A few more times. Still pulls right out. It only feels like as much drag as you would have for a spook or something that may need a mid drag. I took the reel apart. Went through the drag t o make sure it was cleaned and in good condition. Put it all back together. Same thing. Not at all happy! Yes I've own this reel for two years. But only used it for one season. I really hope that this reel can get fixed. Overall I liked the reel when it was in working condition. I have six other Lews reels. Only had issues with one other one. The original super duty. Broken pinion gear twice.

From: BV74: Northern NY 8/8/22

Comments: I've had this reel for 2 years now so felt comfortable writing a review after the time I've put in. I have this paired on 7'5 Extra Heavy Rod/ Fast for fishing in heavy vegetation. I find that 50-65lb braid works the best with this casting reel on a favorite frog or flipping applications! I get extremely long cast with my frog but still get black lashes that can ruin a day if I'm not dialed in on my casting. I've come to realize in any applications with a heavy hookset & long cast you really need to keep & eye on you're line. One minute on any reel you're casting is smooth but once to hookset something healthy or get a jig stuck you tend to put tension in you're line spool. Sometimes slowing down and pull out some line out get it realigned is the key and the problem you're having with backlash! Casting problems not necessarily the reels you're using all the time. I will be honest thou, I started with Lews Reels on most all my rods but after time & experience I'm falling in love with Daiwa Reels more & more just wished the drag was higher like lews reels! Anyways all in all don't use the flipping switch much but this reel is a (beast) pulled many 5lbs plus LM out of thick vegetation. Great for those situations and one of the only lews reels I haven''t changed out in my arsenal. Besides that I'm going to see how well it does with A-Rigs next. if you want a good frog, pitching or flipping and other topwater applications I say go for it.

From: Blake: Redding, CA 12/12/21

Comments: Paired the 8.3:1 to a 7'6" Dobyns champion flippin rod. LOVE the setup for flippin. Anything down to 3/16 oz. This reel doesn't have the flip up hook keeper like my other Lews reels have, but it does have the flippin switch, which I absolutely love. I wish every reel had it.

From: William: Cookeville, TN 1/1/21

Comments: Love the performance of the Superduty, but after the second season, the rubber finish on the reel is coming off. Would be hesitant to buy another one because of that.

From: Frank: Delaware 12/6/20

Comments: Purchased the Lew's Super Duty Speed Spool LFS - 8.3.1 and put it on a Lew's Custom Lite Speed Stick 7'3".  The Super Duty is a bump up in price on what I normally pay for a reel but its a BIG bump up in quality.  After a couple of uses  there is nothing about this reel I don't like.  Again  pay a little more but get a whole lot more.  I love the positive clicks from spool tension adjustment ... very cool feature.  Fippin' switch is nice but I can flip really good without it.  I would buy this reel again and probably will when one of my older reels break.

From: Scott: Indiana 7/10/20

Comments: Got an 8:3:1 gear ratio for flipping and paired it on a 7 ft 4 heavy lowrider from falcon and it is magic! It is extremely smooth in a compact, strong, package. Definitely recommend this reel to someone who wants a reel in the $180 price point

From: Casey: Texas 4/23/20

Comments: I have to say I am not happy with this reel. I mostly fish shimano and daiwa and I find that both company reels offer a high quality lure adjustment system and you can dial in any lure well on them, where as with this lews reel, I find that the adjustment system is not specific enough and it feels like there are gaps in between the clicks. The braking system also I find is very week and applying the brakes does not really do much. Because of this issue, I have backlashed countless times with various lures, which has spooked many big fish that I could have landed if I was using my other reels. Will keep this reel for heavier applications, however will bite the bullet and take more time to save and stick with Shimano.

From: J: Lake Worth, FL 2/20/20

Comments: Workhorse of a reel. Paired it with a G Loomis e6x 7'6 heavy flippin stick and am loving it. A little heavier than the other lews reels I have.  The flipping switch is a feature that I was excited about but haven't used it too much.  Honestly it is a lot different using it because you have to thumb the spool while also holding the button down which is gonna take some getting used to. Not ready to call it a bust just need more practice before I decide I like/dislike it.  Good reel for a fair price, I'm a big lews fan so a little biased but it's all good. 

From: Stu: Virginia 5/14/19

Comments: I own 4 Lew's Super Duty LFS's in the 7 speed, you can't find a better reel for heavy braid and vegetation. If you do run into a problem with any Lew's reel, the customer service is amazing with a quick turn around!!

From: Arnold - Florida 12/19/18

Comments: Hands down the best reel on the market IMO its a true work horse I have one on all my rods, from casting light weight weightless senkos and jerkbaits to flippin and pitchin. It covers all categories, going from using all shimano curados id put the super duty on par with the Curado.

From: DG - California 11/30/18

Comments: Bought this reel and has been a disappointment  it is only a couple of months old and has broken twice. Yes Lews repairs it and it works great when it's not broken.  Will not buy another one.

From: Lynn: Yuma 9/22/18

Comments: This is an ok reel for really heavy duty applications - swimbaits and the like. However, it's oddly stiff a lot of the time, not overly comfortable for chucking and winding normal moving baits, and not a great flipping reel, despite a decent set of brakes. It is very well built and feels exceptionally solid though, and converting it to a big swimbait setup seems to have found the happy niche this reel fits.

From: Joel P: Oregon 8/4/18

Comments: Really underrated reel - smooth casting and braking, handles flipping really well, feels very solid and well built at all times. Have used for the full range - frogging, flipping, jigs, a-rigs, it handles them all well.

From: Joel P: Oregon 6/2/18

Comments: This reel is one Lews best for the money. It is very comfortable on my Kistler 7'6" x-heavy. I rate this reel 5 out of 5 star. Thank you.

From: Boyd: 2/13/18

Comments: For pitching into grass, pads, and other assorted cover down here in Florida the Lew's Super Duty Speed Spool LFS Casting Reel cannot be beat in the 8.3:1 model. Got this reel a day before my tournament and was able to earn my money back on this reel in winnings. Would recommend to anyone looking for a tough and reliable reel.

From: Carson: Florida 11/28/17

Comments: Paired with a Lamiglass X11.  Makes for a killer swimbait combo.  Couldn't be happier for a real if this quality at this price.  Smooth with major backbone.

From: Derick - California 11/19/17